Kyoko as The Little Match Girl
by Lynn1999
Summary: A oneshot story based on The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen.


Hello everyone! This is my very first Fan Fic so I hope you enjoy it! Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.  
I would like to thank Freelance7 because I got the idea for this story after reading one of his SNK Fan Fics. So thank you Freelance7! I'm glad you don't mind the fact that I copycatted your idea.  
Also, I don't own The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, nor do I own Skip Beat.  
You can try to sue me but I'm just a broke High School student who is a total geek so you won't get anything. :/

Anyway, enjoy!

"You can't do anything right; I should have never had you! Such a bothersome child, you should have never been born!" Saena continued to scream at her daughter, emphasizing what a failure she was. Kyoko wanted to argue and say that she was no longer a child, she was 16 after all, but instead she suffered through the lecture in complete silence. She kept her head bowed low and made sure her gaze remained concentrated on the floor.

Kyoko had been forced to move to New York, where her mother was staying, after Sho ran away to Tokyo a few months ago. Sho's parents wanted nothing to do with Kyoko if she couldn't marry their son so they sent her home.

Saena was infuriated by this. She had too much work to do already; she didn't have time to take care of a child, and such a failure of a child at that.

Kyoko's mother finally went quiet and Kyoko dared to take a peek at her. Saena had her back turned to Kyoko. Her hands rested on the kitchen counter for support. Her shoulders were slumped; she looked so tired. Work must have been stressing her out too much lately. After all, Kyoko's mother wasn't usually this harsh; a 98% on a quiz rarely earned Kyoko such abuse.

Was she finished yelling? Kyoko straightened herself and began to slowly tread towards her room when her mother's abrupt voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?" she growled.

Kyoko stiffened. She spun towards her mother and bowed again. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I thought you were finished."

Saena didn't reply, she only eyed her daughter with a look of detest. After a moment she turned and grabbed a box of matches from the counter. "Take these," Saena snarled as she shoved the box into Kyoko's hands. "Sell them. _All_ of them, and don't you dare come back until every single match is gone. Prove to me that you are capable of doing _something_ right and I might let you back in."

Kyoko's golden eyes went wide with shock. There were mere hours until midnight, it would be the New Year soon and her mother expected her to go out at this time of night?

Apparently she did because Kyoko didn't even have time to put shoes on before her mother shoved her out the door and slammed it behind her. All Kyoko had was the corn stone around her neck, a thin cotton dress, a cooking apron, and a shawl that she barely had time to grab prior to being forced into the freezing night air.

Kyoko wandered the streets of New York while the cold nipped at her nose, as well as her hands and feet. Well, more accurately, it didn't nip so much as gnaw hungrily due to her lack of protective clothing. Kyoko hadn't been outside long at all, and yet her feet were already turning blue. She peered at the box of matches in her hand. There were 15 matches. That didn't seem like very much at all and if she didn't want to risk frost bite, she had better sell them quickly.

Kyoko spotted a young man leaving a store, and a young lady following shortly after. The two linked arms and headed towards a carriage in the street. Kyoko was hesitant to approach them. Her English was improving but it was still nothing to brag about. She glanced at the matches in her hand once again before swallowing the lump in her throat and approaching the couple. Snow crunched underneath her feet as she neared them.

"Excuse me," Kyoko chirped before giving a slight bow. "I am selling matches. You like one?"

"Matches?" The woman inquired.

"Yes. You like one?"

The woman gave a small smile before waving her hand dismissively. "I'm sorry but I have no need for matches. Perhaps you can ask someone else." With that the two went on their way, leaving Kyoko alone in the street.

Kyoko found herself sitting on a bench, all 15 matches still in the box. Every encounter had gone like the first. She would find someone and ask them if they were interested in buying a match and they would all say that they didn't need any matches.

After trying to sell matches to a countless number of people, Kyoko gave up and decided to rest. The bench was cold but she didn't mind because it gave her poor feet a break from the sting of the icy ground. Snowflakes fell on her long black hair, causing it to become wet and making Kyoko shiver even harder.

"Come on, hurry up now!" Kyoko's head snapped in the direction of the voice. A mother picked her child up, a little girl, and placed her in a waiting carriage. She then smiled and gave the child a quick kiss before climbing in herself.

How lovely it must be to have a mother like that. Kyoko's mother had never once talked to her like that, let alone kissed her. Kyoko's grip on the matches tightened. What was so great about home anyway? If Kyoko went home without selling a single match her mother would surely be cross. Even if she did manage to sell all of the matches her mother would only find another way to make her miserable. No one was waiting for her to return. She reached up and held the corn stone that was around her neck. No one loved her.

Kyoko tried to bite back the tears but they started to flow anyway. They rolled down her frozen cheeks and landed in her lap. She didn't want anyone to see her like this so she resolved to find a place where no one could see her cry.

Ren glanced at his pocket watch. He still had time before midnight, and it wasn't like anyone was waiting for him to arrive home anyway. He might as well take a detour.

He smiled to himself as he regarded his surroundings. The city was absolutely gorgeous at night; lights shone from every window, snow covered the rooftops and fell like tiny diamonds from the sky. Yes, It was lovely.

Ren's merry thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone crying. He followed the sound until he reached the source; it was a young girl. She was sitting alone on a bench wearing clothes that were hardly suitable for the weather. Ren moved closer, close enough to see her face but still far enough away to remain unnoticed. The girl had black hair and golden eyes. She looked…familiar. Maybe it was because she was Japanese. Other than Yashiro, Ren rarely saw other people of Japanese descent.

The poor girl tried to pull herself together and stop crying, but it only made things worse. Shivers and sobs racked her frail body until finally, she deserted the bench in search of somewhere more private. It was at this point Ren noticed the girl did not even have shoes! Maybe he should follow her? No, that would be creepy.

Ren turned and started walking away when the image of her bare feet flooded his mind.

He sighed.

She probably didn't have anywhere to go and considering how she was dressed she wouldn't last long out here in the cold. He turned again and started trailing her, keeping a safe distance between them.

Eventually, Kyoko settled for a corner between two buildings. One building projected a little over the next, providing some shelter from the wind. Here she crouched, and drew her legs up under her chin. However, the effort did nothing to warm her. What if she lit a match? She obviously wasn't going to sell any so she might as well use them, right?

Kyoko's hands were stiff and it took several tries before she was able to hold the match steady enough to strike it against the wall. _R-r-sh!_ The flame flared to life before her eyes. Oh! It was so clear and beautiful. Kyoko was stretching out her other hand to warm it when something changed. Kyoko saw a huge stove sitting before her! The light blazed and reflected in her golden eyes for a moment before vanishing. Kyoko was left staring at a burnt out match in her hand.

Ren felt a pang of pity for the girl before, but it became something much more than that when he saw that she chose a corner between two buildings as her destination. Why didn't she go someplace else? Surely there was _somewhere_ , wasn't there?

Maybe not.

The girl struck a match against the wall and, seeking some warmth, curled her fingers around it. Ren noticed a change in the girl just then. Her eyes started scanning the area around the match. Almost like she was looking at something that wasn't there. She was hallucinating.

He also noticed that she was no longer shivering. This girl needed help. _Now_.

And Ren knew just who he needed to find.

Kyoko struck another match. This time, as the light shone on the wall, she saw a huge table spread with all kinds of delicious food. Kyoko's eyes fell upon a large hamburger steak, complete with egg on top, and her mouth started to water uncontrollably. She picked up a fork and brought a bite close to her lips and then–everything vanished. The fork in her hand turned out to be nothing more than another burnt match.

This time when Kyoko struck a match she saw an enormous Christmas tree! Oh how she loved Christmas trees! This one was more beautiful than any she had ever seen at the Fuwa's household. Even the stores here in New York didn't have trees this lovely. And the presents! Underneath the tree were more presents than she could count. Kyoko reached for a present with pink wrapping paper and a white frilly bow. It was fit for a princess.

The tree disappeared and Kyoko found that all she held was a burnt match and a handful of snow.

Kyoko grabbed a fourth match and struck it against the wall. This time the picture wasn't entirely clear at first. Kyoko saw a person with green eyes standing before her. The light reflected off something golden. It was the person's hair.

"Corn!" Kyoko cried out as she reached for him, joy shining in her eyes.

Corn was the only person who had ever been kind to Kyoko. Her own mother hated her, the Fuwa's only took her in when they thought they something to gain, and Sho ran off and left her.

But Corn… _Corn_ had truly been kind to her, and he had never asked anything in return. Oh how wonderful it was that he was here now!

"Please Corn, don't leave me again!" Kyoko pleaded as she hurriedly struck the rest of the matches. Corn's image burned brighter than the sun and looked more radiant than she remembered.

"Kyoko-chan," Corn said as he kneeled next to Kyoko, "I'm back. Do you want to go look for fairies? Maybe we can ask them if they would like to eat at our hamburger restaurant." He smiled a bright, beautiful smile and held out his hand for her.

"Silly Corn," Kyoko giggled, placing her hand in his, "Fairies don't eat meat."

"How bad is it?" Ren asked the doctor.

"Her condition is pretty bad and its worsening by the minute. We need to get her inside," Yashiro informed Ren.

Ren nodded and helped Yashiro get the girl into the carriage. He was glad he was able to find Yashiro and bring him back to the girl. She wasn't in good shape to begin with and when the two found her again, she was slipping into unconsciousness.

Inside the carriage, the girl rested on Ren's shoulder while Yashiro checked her pulse and other vitals. Ren stared at the girl. Her lips had been forming words the entire time but he was having trouble making them out.

"Ren, can we put her in your room?" Yashiro asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Sure. Should I get a bath ready too?"

"No!" Yashiro nearly shouted. "Warming her up that quickly could cause her to go into shock. I'll bring her to your room. Go make her something warm to drink for when she wakes up. Nothing with caffeine though."

Ren put on some tea while Yashiro carried the girl, bridal style, into Ren's bedroom. "Poor thing, you're as cold as ice," Yashiro said more to himself than to the girl in his arms. He pulled back the covers and gently placed Kyoko on the bed.

Ren walked in the room just as Yashiro started removing Kyoko's clothing. "W-what are you doing!?" Ren demanded, his cheeks reddening.

"You know absolutely nothing about treating hypothermia, do you?"

"I'm an entertainer, not a doctor," Ren retorted.

Yashiro simply shook his head. "Her clothing is damp and only causing her condition to worsen. We should find something dry for her to wear."

"U-um…I guess she could borrow a shirt of mine."

"That'll do."

Ren went to his dresser and retrieved a button up shirt for the girl to wear. He tried to do the gentlemanly thing and avert his eyes but something caught his attention. There was a small blue stone around the girl's neck.

This stone triggered a memory. A memory of a little girl who often cried because of her mother. Of a girl who, despite crying often, was lively, strong willed, and determined. A girl with black hair and golden eyes.

Ren shook it off. Surely it wasn't the same girl from his childhood. Why in the world would she be in New York? Ren handed the shirt to Yashiro who promptly dressed the girl. Yashiro then stood and glanced at his pocket watch, frowning slightly.

"I have somewhere I have to be so the girl is going to be your responsibility for the night. I can check back in the morning to see how she is doing."

Ren nodded.

"Before I go," Yashiro said as he stopped just outside the bedroom doorway, "I have some instructions for you. Don't put her in the bath or near the fire, that'll warm her too quickly. It's best if you let her stay under the blankets and use body heat."

Ren looked at Yashiro, "Body heat?" he questioned.

"Yes. I know it might feel a bit strange, but take off some of your own clothing and hold her. Climb under the covers if you have to, just keep her warm." With that, Yashiro strode out the door and left the girl in Ren's care.

Ren stared at the girl. Her lips were blue and her skin was much too pale. He reached out and touched her forehead; she felt like ice. Remembering what Yashiro had said, he removed his winter coat before climbing under the covers next to the girl. She was so small and fragile compared to him. He pulled her frozen body close and wrapped his arms around her.

Glancing at the clock, Ren saw that it was a few minutes past midnight. What an interesting way to spend the New Year; with a girl he didn't even know in his arms. Ren looked at the girl's face for a moment. Some of the color had already returned to her cheeks.

Good.

She was probably going to make it. He stared for a while longer before drifting off to sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window, causing Ren to stir. He glanced down and studied the still sleeping girl. Her color was much better than it had been and she seemed to be perfectly fine. Ren figured he should probably leave the room before she woke up. So he decided to put on some tea for her.

Just as he was about to exit the room he heard the girl mumble something ever so slightly. His body froze when he realized what she was saying.

"Corn…don't leave…Corn," the girl continued to murmur herself in her sleep. Was this what she had been saying last night as well? Ren couldn't believe it. This was the girl from his childhood. She had to be. But how had she made it all the way from Japan?

He quickly dismissed the thought. It didn't matter. What mattered was that he had found her again. Ren hurried over to the girl and kneeled next to her. No, not _the girl_. Kyoko. Her name was Kyoko. He grasped Kyoko's hand and caressed it with his thumb.

"It's okay, I won't leave," he whispered in a soothing voice.

Kyoko's golden eyes slowly fluttered open. She gazed up at him and a slight smile pulled at her lips. "Corn, you've changed. You're all grown up."

Ren's heart skipped a beat. She recognized him? After all this time, and even after he changed his hair color? Ren couldn't help but smile. He leaned forward and brushed a few strands of stray hair out of Kyoko's eyes. "I know. You've changed as well. You're no longer a child."

"Corn, you're going to stay with me, right?" Kyoko asked, her eyes pleading.

"Of course, Kyoko. I'll never leave you again. Now you should rest so you can recover your strength. I'll go make you some tea." He planted a quick kiss on her forehead before releasing her hand.

Relief flooded Kyoko's system and she snuggled deeper under the covers, allowing herself to drift off to sleep once again.

She missed the glint of determination in Ren's eyes as he left the room.

One thing was for certain, wherever Kyoko came from, she wasn't going back. Ren had finally found her again after all these years, and he wasn't about to hand her over to someone cruel enough to make her wander the streets in the middle of winter. She was his, and he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to protect her.


End file.
